EVERTON Football Club today took a giant step towards achieving its dream move to Liverpool's world-famous waterfront.

EVERTON Football Club today took a giant step towards achieving its dream move to Liverpool's world-famous waterfront.

Liverpool Vision, the city council-backed regeneration agency, was formally announcing that it had won the race to develop Kings Dock.

Everton and partners SFX have stressed that the proposed 55,000-seater arena will be a facility for the whole of Merseyside.

But the plans are being opposed by dockland residents and their Labour councillors.

Today, the ECHO puts 10 key questions to Derick Leeming, joint chairman of The Kings Dock Campaign Steering Group and secretary of the Navigation Wharf Residents Association and Bill Kenwright, vice-chairman of Everton.

Should Everton Football Club be allowed to develop such a prime site on Liverpool's world-famous waterfront?>

Derick Leeming: Everton have every right to bid for the Kings Dock, but the nature of any development should be the subject of intense public scrutiny and questioning as this is a site of massive importance to Merseyside.

If the plan really is flawless, why the intense secrecy and why the determination to present it as a fait accompli before the consultation period has even begun?

Bill Kenwright:: Yes, we believe the development of what will be a much-envied, world-class facility can only serve to further embroider the city of Liverpool's burgeoning reputation as a city which is forward thinking.

Liverpool people are justly proud of their renowned skyline. How, for better or worse, will the planned stadium affect it?>

DL: A matter of personal architectural taste. No doubt Sky Sports will adore it, but should satisfying the whims of the Murdoch Empire be all we aspire to as a city of culture?

And how will it complement the as yet unknown "Fourth Grace"?>

BK: The club's architects have worked very carefully alongside representatives of English Heritage to ensure that the end product is wholly sympathetic to those famous buildings which currently make-up the city's unique skyline.

In order that the Liverpool skyline is not disrupted, we have to ensure that the new stadium in terms of height is no taller than the Albert Dock structure. Our application has met all the requirements.

What about noise and air pollution issues?>

DL: Both legitimate worries which a thoroughly independent environmental impact study must examine.

Noise is a major problem at the Summer Pops. Though we're told the roof on the arena will ensure the sound of the Rolling Stones playing to 10 times the Pops' audience will be completely contained, we're not certain we believe it.

BK: We do not envisage any additional problems above and beyond those minor short-lived problems which are invariably the by-product of any major event which attracts a sizeable audience. All these issues will be addressed by an environmental impact study.

How will the proposed development cope with the increase in vehicle and pedestrian traffic around the immediate Kings Dock and Albert Dock areas?>

DL: With huge difficulty. This is one of the many major questions still unanswered to which we, and, we understand, English Partnerships, would like very specific and costed answers rather than the present jumble of vague ideas.

We need an intelligent debate on what the infra-structure problems are, what the feasible options to address them are, how much they will cost and who is paying.

BK: The question of possible congestion caused by the gathering and then the dispersement of a large crowd is obviously a key one.

But we are confident that all events at the new stadium, be they football fixtures or high profile concerts, will pass off without problems. Liverpool Vision is developing a city centre movement strategy.

How do you think the city centre will be affected by thousands of extra people (including away fans coming from Lime Street Station) walking through (and drinking in) Liverpool city centre on match days before and after games?>

DL: There seems little doubt its character will change. How much depends to an extent on the nature of each fixture and the time they are held, as well as the transport and policing arrangements.

It is already the case that the city centre is flooded with football supporters from a point very early in the morning whenever Liverpool or Everton have a home fixture. These supporters have always been well-policed and that, we are certain, will continue to be the case.

We feel that a majority of city centre traders will welcome the additional revenue which is lkely to be generated. Interestingly, in Amsterdam, retailers have chosen to build the city's biggest shopping centre alongside the Amsterdam arena.

Will Merseyside Police and Fire Brigade be able to cover the development, bearing in mind the access to Kings Dock?>

DL: Here are some questions they should answer on the basis of full knowledge of the plans: Will the Chief Constable give an assurance that, from a public order point of view, the Kings Dock is an appropriate site for a football stadium?

And will the other emergency services be satisfied that the plans do not compromise safety, either for the vast numbers of users or for residents who may need to access such services when the stadium is in peak use.

BK: Yes, they will. Both the police and the fire brigade have been involved in the consultation process.

How could the increase in visitors to Kings Dock impact on the retail centre of the city and Albert Dock businesses?>

DL: Pubs, restaurants, hotels, newsagents and the like will do well, but it's likely there will be a detrimental effect on many other retailers.

Perhaps they should be consulted along with the bidders wishing to develop Chavasse Park and the Bluecoat Triangle?

BK: Self-evidently an increase in visitors to both areas will lead to an increase in trade and, consquently, an increase in traders' revenue.

We believe that the new stadium can only have a positive, galvanising effect on businesses in both the city centre and Albert Dock areas.

How do you think the Walton area of Liverpool will be affected if Everton leave Goodison Park?>

DL: There will be an economic impact, particularly if Liverpool FC also move out of Liverpool 4.

However, particularly if Goodison Park is sensitively redeveloped, many residents may finally get peace and quiet and be quite pleased to have passed the problems of living near a stadium on to us.

BK: The club, along with Liverpool city council, intend to discuss plans to help the regeneration of the north of the city where Everton Football Club has had its home for more than 100 years.

A full consultation process will be undertaken and Everton will be a key player in this process.

Is it right that public money should be used for a project of this kind?>

DL: Football is important to many of us, but it is also well able to support itself as are ageing rock stars.

Objective One funding is only there because this is a poor city so it is a fair question to ask, specifically what are the regeneration and employment effects of an arena and how do they compare to alternative uses of the same money?

BK: Yes, we believe it is right. Everton Football club will not receive one penny of public money.

The #35 million grant aid which is required to support the project will be utilised for the good of the city in general by way of providing what will be a world-class arena.

Should we be unduly worried about the scale of infrastructure problems which will be posed by such a large-scale development or should we trust our city planners to have the vision and imagination needed to overcome them?>

DL: Yes and yes. There is a huge infrastructure problem to be addressed, although that's far from the only concern we should have.

The planners will doubtless do a fine and impartial job, but unless their vision and imagination is backed by very large amounts of money from so far unidentified sources, all their efforts may yet be in vain.

BK: We remain confident that the city planners do, indeed, have the necessary vision and imagination.

All parties involved in the most ambitious project have worked tirelessly to produce a blueprint which will, hopefully, prove to be acceptable to all.